International Studies Program Review 2015 Self-Study
Niall Michelsen
Director, International Studies
Associate Professor
Department of Political Science and Public Affairs
Stillwell 344
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC 28723
(828) 227-3336 michelsen@email.wcu.edu
Chris Cooper
Department Head
Professor
Department of Political Science and Public Affairs
Stillwell 358
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC 28723
(828) 227-3861 ccooper@email.wcu.edu
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International Studies Program Review 2015 Self-Study 2
The International Studies Program is home to a minor and a coordinate major. Both of these are interdisciplinary academic programs. The minor has been available for decades, and the major was launched in 2010. Between the two programs roughly 100 undergraduate students have international studies as one of their academic programs. They are nearly evenly divided between the major and minor. The self-study focuses exclusively on the major program.
One of the defining features of the major is that that students must also complete a second major.
In turn, this means that the international studies major must be very limited in the total number of hours required. The 30 hours requirement allows students from a variety of majors to include international studies in their academic program within a 4 year graduation plan. Thus, the major is open to students beyond the traditional liberal arts humanities and social science programs.
Students in other highly technical majors may take one extra year to complete both programs.
The Program has a Director, supported by an International Studies Advisory Board comprised of
8 faculty members who serve 3-year terms. These members are selected for their commitment to the international studies majors. The ISAB meets a minimum of two times per semester and more often as necessary.
The major was met with enthusiastic responses when it was announced and we continue to attract and graduate some outstanding students. For the first few years the number of majors increased rapidly and then began a gentle decline. This pattern is normal and predictable since students were joining in large numbers but not yet graduating. Graduation numbers peaked in the 2013-14 year with 23.
The Director and ISAB feel that the program should remain as a coordinate major and that the 30 credit limit should remain in place. We also recognize that the current curriculum has some weaknesses. In Spring 2015 and Fall 2015 the ISAB discussed an overhaul of the program. We include our proposed changes in Appendix 1 and welcome the review team’s comments.
We have two specific areas of concern that we have addressed in the self-study. The first is the foreign language requirement. This requirement is in some respects a strength of the current program, and one that is reduced in our proposed changes. And in some respects it is a weakness. Its strength comes from the substantive nature of international studies. Its weakness is that WCU does not offer a wide range of languages and students seek to avoid studying foreign languages if possible.
The second specific area of concern is the situation with World Geography. Those courses are a mainstay of the current program, but without an associated tenure-track faculty position their place in the program is tentative.

International Studies Program Review 2015 Self-Study
CONTENTS
Self-Study
Program Background and Overview p. 5.
Standard 1 – The purpose of the program reflects and supports the mission and strategic vision of Western Carolina University and the mission of its School and/or College pp. 5-7.
Standard 2 – The program engages in ongoing, systematic planning that is reflective of the
University’s strategic priorities pp. 7-10.
Standard 3 – The program provides and evaluates a high quality curriculum that emphasizes student learning as its primary purpose pp.10-12.
Standard 4 – The program has sufficient faculty resources to meet its mission and goals pp. 12-
13.
3
Standard 5 – The program attracts, retains, and graduates high quality students pp. 13-15.
Standard 6 – The program has an administrative structure that facilitates achievement of program goals and objectives pp. 15-17.
Standard 7 – The program has adequate resources to meets its goals and objectives pp. 17-18.
Appendices
Appendix 1 – Proposed Changes pp. 1-3
Appendix 1.2
Justifications for Proposed Changes pp. 4-5
Appendix 2.1
WCU Mission and Vision Statement p. 6
Appendix 2.2
College of Arts and Science Mission p. 7
Appendix 2.3
International Studies Mission p. 8
Appendix 2.4
QEP Report pp. 9-10
Appendix 3.1
Assessment Plan pp. 11-16
Appendix 3.2
Assessment Report 2014 pp. 17-19
Appendix 3.3
Assessment Report 2013 pp. 20-21
Appendix 3.4
Assessment Report 2012 pp. 22-23
Appendix 4.1
International Studies Governance Document p. 24

International Studies Program Review 2015 Self-Study
Appendix 5.1
Figure 1 – International Studies Majors; Figure 2 International Studies Graduates p. 25
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Appendix 5.2
International Studies Second Major, Study Abroad, and Honors pp. 26-28.
Appendix 6.1
INST 200 Syllabus pp. 29-36
Appendix 6.2
INST 400 Syllabus pp. 37-45
Appendix 6.3
PSC 110 Syllabus pp. 46-54
Appendix 7.1
Core Competency Schedules and Enrollment p. 55
Appendix 7.2
Proposed Change Schedules pp. 56-57
Appendix 7.3
BA International Studies Curriculum pp. 58-60
Appendix 7.4
International Studies Spring 2016 Schedule pp. 61-62
Appendix 7.5
Advising Sheet Template p 63-64
Appendix 8.1
Faculty Roster p. 65
Appendix 8.2
Michelsen CV pp.66-71
Appendix 8.3
Aderinto CV pp. 72-83
Appendix 8.4
Hale CV pp. 84-93
Appendix 8.5
Hickey CV pp. 94-104
Appendix 8.6
Hughes CV pp. 105-106
Appendix 8.6
Oxford CV pp. 107-119
Appendix 8.7
Schiff CV pp. 120-124
Appendix 8.8
Spasovska CV pp. 125-133

International Studies Program Review 2015 Self-Study
International Studies Program Review
5
Background and Overview
WCU launched the interdisciplinary International Studies major in the Fall 2010 semester. This supplemented the existing International Studies minor. The major program was designed as a response to growing global interdependence and to the strategic missions of both the UNC system and WCU to promote global understanding. The BA degree has a few unique features, most importantly that it is a coordinate major, meaning that it must be coupled with another undergraduate degree. To make this feasible for a large number of students, the International Studies major is small in terms of hours required.
The new major was designed as a coordinate major due to the expansive nature of the subject matter. We believed that all undergraduate majors are shaped by global forces, whether in terms of disciplinary content or career options. Thus, rather than create a major which is effectively open to only a small portion of the total undergraduate population, we sought to create a major which would be open to a wide range of students in majors across the curriculum. The breadth of second majors held by our students and graduates demonstrates that this goal has been achieved.
The International Studies BA program emerged from collaboration between academic departments
(Anthropology/Sociology; Geosciences and Natural Resources; History; Political Science and Public
Affairs; World Languages). The program was originally located within the College of Arts and Sciences with one of the Associate Deans of CAS serving as the original (and continuing) Director. It is administratively housed within the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs which is located in the College of Arts and Sciences at Western Carolina University.
Standard I. The purpose of the program reflects and supports the mission and strategic vision of
Western Carolina University and the mission of its School and/or College
The program seeks to fashion an interdisciplinary field of study that creates a teaching and learning community in which students develop the attitudes, knowledge, and aptitudes required for responsible and effective participation in global society. Its primary purpose is to prepare students to function in a broad range of professional fields in the US and abroad by providing high quality instruction and encouraging students to expand their horizons. Students choosing this major gain a multi-faceted grasp of globalization and international politics, as well as an appreciation of foreign cultures. In combination with their other major, students develop an understanding of opportunities generated by these forces for the western North
Carolina region and beyond.

International Studies Program Review 2015 Self-Study
The International Studies major was originally established in congruence with the goal set forth in the
WCU Strategic Plan (2006 – 2011) of “ The University prepares students to become contributing and informed citizens in a global community
.” In 2012 WCU adopted the 2020 Vision: Focusing our Future which includes goals and initiatives which are consistent with the goals of this program.
6
Goal 1.3 reads: Ensure that all programs include cross-curricular, experiential, applied, and international/global awareness opportunities for all students.
Further, Initiative 1.3.3 reads: Ensure that meaningful international/global experience opportunities are available to every student, regardless of major, including options to study with international scholars on WCU’s faculty, to participate in faculty-led international travel courses, and to study abroad.
Goal 2.1 emphasizes global and social awareness and Initiative 2.1.6 reads: Expand international experiences for all Western Carolina University students through such strategies as increasing study abroad opportunities, developing exchange programs with international universities, recruiting a sizable international student population to WCU, and enhancing global awareness components of existing curricula.
The International Studies program actively advances these plans. The curriculum allows students from a broad range of majors to select it as a second major. In Fall 2015 the International Studies major was combined with 18 other majors, with the International Studies minor coupled with 6 other majors. Some of these dual majors can be completed within the minimum 120 hours, but others require more credits.
The major does not require that students engage in any study abroad educational experiences, but naturally many do. In fact, of the 56 graduates, 35 had international educational experiences. If we exclude students with foreign military experience and foreign born majors, nearly 70% have educational experiences outside of the US.
The International Studies major is committed to the development and implementation of WCU’s QEP
“Synthesis: A pathway to intentional learning” as a means of better facilitating the relationships between students’ classroom activities, in particular their connections between two major fields of study, their outof-class experiences, and their life goals. Through our core competency courses and electives, we cover issues that cross disciplines, requiring students to bring together information from multiple academic areas. The topics covered by an International Studies major range from political characteristics of the international system, to specific issues where students learn how culture, nature, and politics interact, to how globalization is transforming the world in myriad ways.

International Studies Program Review 2015 Self-Study 7
One of the indirect spin-offs of the International Studies program is the Global Spotlight series. Founded in Fall 2014 by three original members of the International Studies Advisory Board, it organizes panels on important international themes (Iraq; Human Trafficking; Ebola; Climate Change; South China Sea;
Arctic; Cuba; Israel-Palestine). The panels have carried out the interdisciplinary mission of the major, with the panels consisting of faculty from History; Political Science; Geosciences and Natural Resources;
Criminal Justice; Sociology; Sales and Marketing; Environmental Health; World Languages. The most recent in the series, Global Spotlight: A Changing Cuba, featured a student who had recently traveled to
Cuba as part of a Spanish course, and a Cuban scholar, Juan Nicolas Padron, who was brought to WCU on a Visiting Scholar grant. The series is well-established on campus and schedules two internationally oriented panels each semester.
Standard 2: The program engages in ongoing, systematic planning that is reflective of the
University’s strategic priorities
The program was launched without an assessment plan, and the current plan (Appendix 3.1) was not in place until the end of the 3 rd year 2012-13. Assessment of the program has had two tracks, one of which has drawn on the perceptions and answers provided by students. The other track is through regular meetings of the International Studies Advisory Board, with extended discussions about the major, its features, and the students. The assessment of student learning began in the form of reflections by graduating students on their International Studies courses. Because compliance was voluntary and the students were graduating we did not get a high return rate. With the establishment of the INST 200 and
INST 400 courses we have the means for collecting data that allows us to move from anecdote to artifact.
Thus in Spring 2015 we had 4 research projects that were the focal point of the INST 400 Capstone in
International Studies course.
In the first iteration of this data collection process none of the students in INST 400 were required to take the course because they were grandfathered in, which means that the students were self-selected into the course. It will probably only be in the Spring 2017 INST 400 course that the students will comprise a representative cross-sampling of the majors.
The program adopted the WCU QEP goals to shape our learning outcomes:
Educational Goal #1: Integrate information from a variety of contexts
Learning Outcome:

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the interrelationships between International
Studies and their second major.

International Studies Program Review 2015 Self-Study 8
Educational Goal #2: Solve complex problems
Learning Outcomes:

Develop the skills necessary to recognize existing and emerging global problems.

Develop the skills necessary to recognize multiple problem-solving strategies, in an international context.

Design a realistic problem-solving strategy appropriate to the problem.

Develop an intellectual framework from which one may select an appropriate solution based on practical, legal, theoretical, and ethical constraints.
Educational Goal #3: Communicate Effectively and Responsibly across Cultural Lines
Learning Outcomes:

Develop the ability to communicate with people from different cultural backgrounds.

Develop oral and written communication skills.
Educational Goal #4: Practice Global Civic Engagement
Learning Outcomes:

Develop an understanding of the importance of civic engagement around the world.

Develop an understanding of the opportunities to participate in shaping local communities throughout the globe.
Educational Goal #5: Clarify and Act on Purpose and Values
Learning Outcomes:

Understand the ethical and moral importance of life choices.

Understand how to use informed judgments to guide their future plans.

Clarify their own purposes and values.

Develop the ability to see opposing viewpoints.
Develop a plan to act on those values.In its six years, the major has undergone three substantial changes that emerged from both our International Studies Advisory Board (ISAB) discussions and our ongoing assessment of the program, including feedback from graduating students. The first change was to expand the number of courses in each Core Competencies from 3 in each category to 4. This was done pragmatically so that we could offer more regular choices to students, but we also wished to expand the major into new substantive areas. In the Politics Competency we added PAR 392 Global Justice, Liberty,

International Studies Program Review 2015 Self-Study 9 and Human Rights. In the Culture Competency we added ENGL 470 Twentieth-Century and
Contemporary Postcolonial Literature. In the Globalization Competency we added SOC 373 The Global
Society. Each of these added new dimensions to their respective Competency and greatly enriched the overall options open to students. PAR 392 expanded the Politics Competency to include human rights and issues of global justice to what was a mostly diplomatic category. ENGL 470 addressed one of the concerns raised in the program approval process by adding a course that is entirely focused on cultural expressions and issues to the Culture Competency. SOC 373 expanded the Globalization Competency beyond the direct manifestations of economic globalization to include the broader societal implications of globalization in its myriad forms.
The second substantial change was to align the curriculum of the major and minor. Because the two had different origins some anomalous inconsistencies had to be reconciled. The outcome did not have a major effect on either the major or minor, though we eliminated the situation where a course for the minor did not count for the major, and vice versa.
The third substantial curricular change involved the creation of a one-credit Introduction to International
Studies course (INST 200) and a two-credit International Studies Capstone (INST 400) course that new majors are required to complete. This came at the cost of one of the two guided electives students are required to complete. This change emerged from our understanding that the major lacked any natural means by which students would get to know each other or learn how the major hangs together in terms of curriculum and learning outcomes. The major had to that point only one course (PSC 110 Global Issues) that every student had to take, and that course is a Liberal Studies course and has several sections offered each semester and in the summer. Consequently, few International Studies majors or minors would be in any particular section. That in combination with students having so many different second majors meant that the students rarely developed a sense of camaraderie that typically builds among students in the same major. Just as worrying, students had difficulty understanding the logic of the major as a whole. This was made clear when seniors were asked their thoughts about the major as part of program assessment in
2013. Students indicated they appreciated the diversity of courses offered in the major, and those who had taken regional courses indicated a great appreciation for gaining in-depth understanding of a foreign culture. Where agreement broke down and indicated that students did not have a unified and shared understanding of the mission of the program was on the issue of the foreign language requirement.
Students reached a variety of conclusions ranging from reducing the requirement, to eliminating the twolanguage option. It did not surprise us that without participating in a class that addresses the mission and its logic and the relationship of the parts to the whole, students would reach different conclusions.

International Studies Program Review 2015 Self-Study 10
From our understanding of the absence of a natural point of convergence for students in the major, we took steps in our inaugural year to establish a student organization labeled International Studies Club, to provide an opportunity for students who share an interest in and curiosity about global matters, to come together and pursue these interests together. As is the case with many departmentally-based student organizations, the fortunes of this club have ebbed and flowed. The fortunes seem to vary without regard to anything involving the major, but rather on the presence (or absence) of enough students with the energy and interest to carry the organization forward. When successful, the ISC has had meetings with international food served and a large international banquet once a year.
The program does not have a well-organized or effective means of tracking alumni. This is a common problem but is particularly pronounced in the case of International Studies since the students all have a second major, and in many cases the students seem to be more attached to those majors, due to their centralized location and faculty.
Standard 3: The program provides and evaluates a high quality curriculum that emphasizes student learning as its primary purpose
A central defining feature of the major is that it is a coordinate major, meaning that students must pair it with another academic major. For some second majors, the fit is natural. For example, Political Science and History have international subfields within their disciplines, and of course World Languages attract students who are not only linguistically curious, but curious about the world beyond our borders. Other second majors are not inherently connected to International Studies. For example, one student is combing
Computer Information Systems with his International Studies major. Careers for students in fields like this may be international in scope.
Another central feature of the curriculum is its emphasis on foreign language coursework and proficiency.
Except for the World Language degrees, no major on campus requires more foreign language courses than does International Studies. These courses count for 12 of the 30 credits required in the program.
This attracts some students, but deters others. We have nearly as many International Studies minors as majors, and the difference between the two populations is the minors have generally not taken foreign language courses. The foreign language requirement has two tracks that students can pursue. Both require the student to complete at least the intermediate level competency in one language (this is the standard requirement for other BA degrees). From there, one track allows the requirement to be completed by taking an additional 6 credits in the same language at the advanced level, or students can select the second track and take 6 credits in another language at any level. This dual paths option for

International Studies Program Review 2015 Self-Study 11 students grew from the consensus among the founding faculty that foreign language acquisition is valuable for many reasons including imparting cultural sensitivity to our graduates. We also recognized that as the second major for students in BS programs an extensive language requirement would effectively close this major to many. Pedagogically we also recognized that being exposed to an additional language causes students to develop their cognitive ability to learn other languages.
The Core Competencies requirement exposes students to three of the major dimensions of the contemporary world. We self-consciously sought to avoid establishing the major along territorial lines, with categories for the major contributing disciplines. The Politics Competency encompasses traditional diplomatic and security subjects as well as human rights. The Culture Competency is tilted towards nonwestern areas. The Globalization Competency focuses on non-state actors and processes that tie the world together. Exposure to these three dimensions means that students develop a broad understanding of international phenomenon.
The World Geography courses are key to the design of the major. One is found in each of the Core
Competencies because they tend to bring together several factors that characterize the broader world.
Specifically, the World Geography courses explore the connections between human, natural, and economic factors. The rich supply of World Geography courses when the program was launched ensured that students had a variety of Core Competency courses to take, which meant they could follow their interests.
The one course that all International Studies majors have taken is PSC 110 Global Issues. Fortunately, this course has multiple sections offered each semester, including summer. The course simultaneously satisfies a Liberal Studies requirement, a Political Science requirement and a Journalism Concentration requirement.
INST 200 and INST 400 are newly created and have only been delivered once. The Introduction to
International Studies course is only one credit. This course provides a general overview of the field of
International Studies, as well as introduces students to the various disciplinary perspectives included within the major, such as anthropology, communication, criminal justice, geography, history, world languages, philosophy/religion, political science, and sociology. Upon completion of this course, students gain a better understanding of the International Studies curriculum. They understand the relationship between the field of International Studies and the variety of disciplines contained within the major. And they become aware of study abroad, internship, and career opportunities relating to their field of study.
Finally they begin to acquire a substantive knowledge of current global issues and events.

International Studies Program Review 2015 Self-Study 12
The International Studies Capstone course is two-credits and serves as a culminating experience for students completing the BA degree in International Studies. The course is built around a research project, in which students address a current global issue/event of their choice from the perspective of at least three of the disciplines that fall within the International Studies curriculum. Upon completion of this course, students are able to address a single research question from multiple perspectives and to evaluate competing positions in academic debates and use evidence-based arguments to develop and defend his/her own position. They are able to conduct and respond to criticism through peer review, and to synthesize and apply theories and information learned in classes for the International Studies major. They further develop critical thinking, research, written, and oral communication skills and demonstrate an understanding of the complexities and responsibilities of participation in a diverse and multilingual world community.
Standard 4: The program has sufficient faculty resources to meet its mission and goals
The International Studies program lacks a dedicated department and faculty of its own, which presents a significant challenge, as the program director must request that International Studies courses be offered by a variety of departments. Department heads, of course, have as their first responsibility the delivery of their own curriculum, which means that the needs of the International Studies program may not be prioritized when curriculums are generated each semester. Fortunately, the departments with the most courses in the major (Anthropology/Sociology; Geosciences; History; Political Science; World
Languages) have been very supportive. Thus, the issue of adequate resources is largely a question of whether there are sufficient courses delivered for the major. Within the three Core Competency areas, we average 3.75 courses per semester, while three semesters offered only two courses, and one semester offered seven courses. (See Appendix 7.1) There are three specific areas of concern.
The first area of concern is the languages which the students have available on campus to complete the 12 hours required by the program. The languages that are available through the advanced level are:
Cherokee; German; Japanese; Spanish. In addition, we offer French through the intermediate level. When the program was launched, Chinese was taught through the intermediate level and German was a dedicated major. Chinese was dropped due to budget cuts, and German was discontinued as a major during program prioritization. Today, Cherokee, French, and German are not offered frequently enough at the lower levels to allow students to place into a course and be assured that a section they need will be offered. This means that, practically speaking, Spanish and Japanese are the only two languages we can offer on a consistent enough basis through which students can fulfill all 12 required language hours.
Most students who choose a language other than Spanish or Japanese have to select another language or delay beginning their language courses another semester. This is particularly problematic for transfer or

International Studies Program Review 2015 Self-Study 13 upper level students who have a short window of opportunity. Many majors satisfy the language requirement by studying abroad, going on faculty-led language courses during summer, or through UNC online. A review of the degree audits of the International Studies minors shows that very few of them have any college language credits.
World Geography is a significant concern, as that delivers courses in all three Core Competencies. When the program was launched in 2010, a tenured faculty member was a founding member and regularly delivered two courses for the program each semester, and this continued during his phased retirement.
Since then, the World Geography faculty position has been filled on a rotating basis with one-year appointments, and during this period, the geography courses for the major have been halved, with only one course offered per semester. Of the 45 Core Competency sections offered, 14 or 31% have been
World Geography courses. In four of the 12 semesters the program has existed, World Geography courses were 50% of the Core Competency courses delivered. These numbers illustrate the importance of
World Geography. Not only are these courses important to helping students make it through the curriculum on time, we also feel that World Geography comprises an essential component of the subject matter of the major.
A third area of concern is the number of faculty teaching courses in the major in the primary disciplines.
With departments having only one or two faculty members covering the international side of their curriculum, the International Studies program is vulnerable to disruption whenever a faculty position comes empty. Examples of this include two Core Competency courses, ENGL 470 and HIST 335. The
English course is taught by a professor who later became department head with reduced teaching load.
The History course is taught by a professor who had an administrative position heading the Coulter
Faculty Commons with reduced teaching load. The result is that those two courses have been offered the least (twice each) over the life of the program. Linking the Core Competencies to specific courses that are often only taught by one professor exacerbates this vulnerability.
Standard 5: The program attracts, retains, and graduates high quality students
When the program was announced open for students to enroll in Fall 2010 there were immediate responses that were very gratifying. When we established the major we forecast 5 full-time majors the
32011) the cohort of new majors stood at 38. This number is in the normal range compared to other years.
One aspect in which it differs is that in 2010-2011 nearly half of the new cohort was upper division, whereas in succeeding years the average of upper division students was closer to one-quarter. The first

International Studies Program Review 2015 Self-Study 14 year probably gained majors who were “waiting” for the major. Students in the INST major have stayed at WCU at higher rates than average across the campus.
2010-2011
2011-2012
2012-2013
Not Retained @ WCU overall Not Retained @ WCU INST
20%
26%
25%
13%
15%
17%
2013-2014 21% 17%
Of the 62 students who declared as an International Studies major over the Fall 2010; Spring 2011; and
Fall 2011 semesters, exactly 50% graduated in 4 years. Another 19% graduated from WCU but not in
International Studies. Of the 56 majors who have graduated their average of years to degree is 4.2.
This major attracts a range of students in terms of their academic capabilities. However, it tends to attract ambitious and hard-working students since they could all find easier paths to graduation than completing this coordinate major. The high quality of the majors is illustrated by the high percentage of the students that graduate with some sort of Honors designation: 24 of the 56 (43%) received designation for superior academic performance. (Note, Academic Designation is based on overall GPA, Honors College designation has other course requirements. Most, but not all students who receive Academic Designation also receive Honors College designation, and some only earned Honors College designation.)
Summa Cum Laude
Academic Designation
6
Honors College
6
Magna Cum Laude
Cum Laude
8
6
6
3
Many of these graduates have gone on to pursue graduate programs in International Studies, including at the University of Denver, American University, University of Massachusetts in Boston, UNC-
Wilmington, and European University at St. Petersburg, Russia. Another graduate is pursuing graduate educations at North Carolina State University.
Another measure of the richness of the students in this program is the wide diversity of majors with which they have paired International Studies. Some are expected, and some are unexpected. The second majors

International Studies Program Review 2015 Self-Study 15 are listed in order of greatest frequency to lowest: Political Science; Spanish; History; Psychology;
English; Philosophy and Religion; Sociology; Special Studies: Japanese; Anthropology; Business Law;
Communication; Criminal Justice; Environmental Science; Social Work; Special Studies. Many of these majors can be combined with International Studies and completed within 120 hours. A few of these cannot be completed within 120 hours: Business Law; Environmental Science; and Social Work.
Another measure of the quality of the students is the high number who have studied abroad for a semester or longer, or who have participated in faculty-led travel courses. Of the 56 graduates, 37 or 66% earned academic credits outside the United States. Their destinations have included: Botswana; Chile, China;
Cuba; Finland; England; Germany; India; Japan; Kenya; New Zealand; Spain; and Wales. For this or any similar university 66% study abroad rates are great, but for this particular major 34% of the graduates not studying abroad seems less than desirable. The major does not require students to study abroad and this allows upper class students to select it as their second major. Fitting a semester abroad within a two-year program is difficult to accomplish.
A final striking feature of the student population is the gender distribution. The ratio of women to men is nearly 2-1. The racial composition is skewed towards the self-identified white category. Students in the program are significantly more female and non-white than is the WCU average in each category.
Spring 2011
IS % Female
71
WCU % Female
54
IS % White
75
WCU % White
83
Spring 2012
Spring 2013
Spring 2014
Spring 2015
61
62
66
62
54
54
54
54
76
75
71
65
84
81
80
79
Standard 6: The Program has an administrative structure that facilities achievement of program goals and objectives
The program is administratively located within the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs.
The Director and International Studies Advisory Board (ISAB) handle curricular matters, including requirement waivers, etc.. Such matters do not need the approval of the Political Science department.
The department has been very supportive of the program and has supported its autonomy.
In Fall 2012, after consultations with the Office of the Provost, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Department Head of Political Science and Public Affairs, a formal document spelling out and

International Studies Program Review 2015 Self-Study 16 codifying the governance structure was approved and remains in place. (Appendix 4.1) The International
Studies major and minor are overseen by a Director with one-course release per academic year, and by an
International Studies Advisory Board (ISAB) comprised of 8 faculty (excluding DHs) drawn from departments supplying courses to the major. The decision to exclude department heads from serving on the ISAB (and two ISAB members were replaced when they became department heads) was to insure that the ISAB would prioritize the program and its students rather than academic turf issues. ISAB members are recruited from departments that contribute courses to the program. The members are selected on the basis of their departmental affiliation, and by their interest in and dedication to providing a strong academic experience for students in the program.
Selection of a new Director is made jointly by the Department Head of Political Science and Public
Affairs and the ISAB. In addition to the Director’s normal AFE process, each year the Director submits a document detailing his/her work with the INST major to the PSC/PA DH. The PSC/PA DH then uses this self-assessment along with available metrics, and conversations with the ISAB to write an Annual
Faculty Evaluation of the Director’s performance. This process is in addition to the normal faculty AFE process and will occur regardless of the Director’s home department.
Function
Curriculum Oversight
Program Assessment
Advisement
Recruitment/Visibility
Staffing Request
Evaluation of Director
Budget Request
Director
Shared
Shared
Primary Share
Primary
Shared
Shared
ISAB
Shared
Shared
Secondary Share
Advisory
Shared
Responsible for input
Shared
This system has worked very well. The ISAB and Director have worked together well with open discussions focusing on educational outcomes rather than departmental turf. As one example, in the first year, a student requested a waiver from the foreign language requirement, claiming that living abroad should count towards that requirement. After a spirited discussion, the decision was taken to hold firm on the language requirement, and a waiver request form and process was established. ISAB members have guided the program through curricular changes and supported the Director in promoting the program.

International Studies Program Review 2015 Self-Study
At the end of the year the founding Director is stepping down, and several of the ISAB members are completing one of their 3-year terms. Processes are in place to replace the Director and to select new
ISAB members as necessary.
17
An area of concern has been how the advising responsibilities are allocated. The Degree Audit for the major is not reliable and because of the two avenues students can take to satisfy the language requirement and because of the 6 hours of double-counted courses, the program is not intuitively accessible. The official plan has been to allocated advisees to the ISAB member in that student’s second major (thus the
History member on the ISAB would advise the student in History and International Studies). This means that the Director becomes the International Studies advisor for students outside of the range of the ISAB members (e.g., Environmental Science). In practice, when students declare International Studies the student may already have a HIST advisor who is not on the ISAB board. Rather than ask the History department to change the HIST advisor to the ISAB member, the Director has assumed the role of
International Studies advisor. Consequently the Director is the primary advisor for 58% of the majors and the ISAB members are a combined 17% of the primary advisors. Moreover, the Director must individually certify each graduating students’ credentials.
Standard 7: The Program has adequate resources to meet its goals and objectives
The total sum that is directly dedicated to support this program is a $500 state budget, a one-course per year release for the Director, and the costs of teaching INST 200 and INST 400. These courses (1 and 2 credits respectively) are currently offered only in the Spring semester. The Director relies on the
Administrative Support Associate for the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs for various services, particularly regarding promotional materials and events for the program. The Director also utilizes the skills and services of a departmental Graduate Assistant who assists with social media and promotional materials, as in flyers and web materials. The Director (or designee) also has summer responsibilities with respect to Orientation events that are currently considered part of load.
The budget is small but adequate for the purchase of promotional materials for Open House and other sundry expenses. The program has discussed selecting some top majors to serve as “ambassadors” for the program to help in the Open House events and similar events. To move from the current voluntary arrangement to a more formal arrangement might entail some modest level of compensation for the students. Even a modest amount would exceed the budget, but the ISAB has suggested that a small stipend for student “ambassadors” would be an effective incentive for these students to represent the program on Open House Saturdays. The ISAB has also recommended that the program acquire a student

International Studies Program Review 2015 Self-Study 18 worker to maintain the program’s presence on social media, as well as issue messages to current students and alumni.
Ultimately, to function as a viable program that delivers courses on a regular basis to the majors and minors, the program relies on the good will of supporting departments. Thus, the program is subject to changes in other departments. For example the decline in the variety of foreign languages offered through the advanced level has constricted the choices open to our majors. Students can meet the language requirement for the major while attending WCU, but not necessarily in the language of their choosing. The decline in the frequency of World Geography courses for the major has also narrowed the options for our students.